Packing machine



Sept. 20, 1966 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,273,723

PACKING MACHINE Original Filed May 22, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 .oo' I iINVENTOR JOHN MORITZ ANDERSEN BY Qfia. (2M g ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1966 J.M. ANDERSEN 3,273,723

PACKING MACHINE Original Filed May 22, 1959 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJOHN MORITZ- AN DERSEN BY 844?), g.

ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1966 J. M. ANDERSEN PACKING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5Original Filed May 22 1959 INVENTOR JOHN MORITZ ANDERSEN ATTORNEYS Sept.20, 1966 Original Filed May 22, 1959 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,273,723

PACKING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 H4 I2I I5| I24 t I24 Compressed AirINVENTOR JOHN MORITZ ANDERSEN ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1966 J. M. ANDERSEN3,273,723

PACKING MACHINE Original Filed May 22, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,-,]1.YQ EWikYQ I 7 F-E- 17 I62 I61 163/ M I6 m COMPRESSED AIR 4 a e CompressedINVENTOR Air JOHN MORITZ ANDERSEN BY Q4 92. 0M g2.

ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1966 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,273,723

PACKING MACHINE Original Filed May 22, 1959 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR.

JOH MORITZ AN DERSEN BY A TTORNEYS p 1966 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,273,723

PACKING MACHINE Original Filed May 22, 1959 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7-COMPRESSED- AIR COMPRESSED AIR INVENTOR.

JOH MORITZ ANDERSEN BY (@1471, go.

A TTOR NE YS United States Patent 3,273,723 PACKING MACHINE John MoritzAndersen, Bergen, Norway, assignor to A/ S Hansa Bryggeri, Bergen,Norway Original application May 22, 1959, Ser. No. 815,022, now PatentNo. 3,130,528, dated Apr. 28, 1964. Divided and this application Apr.27, 1964, Ser. No. 362,876 8 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) The present applicationis a divisional application of my copending application Serial No.815,022, filed May 22, 1959, now Patent Number 3,130,528, and entitledPacking Machine.

The present invention relates to a packing machine for packing objects,such as bottles in containers, such as botthe cases, and moreparticularly relates to an automatic conveying and packing machine forautomatically conveying or feeding the containers, such as empty bottlecases and the objects to be packed, such as the filled bottles, to thepacking machine, transferring, within the packing machine, the filledand capper bottles from a bottle conveyor track into the empty casedisposed on a case conveyor track, and upon filling the empty case withthe prerequisite number of bottles, automatically transporting thefilled case for further disposition.

Additionally, the present invention relates to an automatic pneumaticcontrol system for automatically feeding the bottles and cases to thepacking machine and for automatically transferring within the packingmachines the filled bottles into the cases.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide asimple, relatively inexpensive, and reliable packing machine for packingobjects, such as bottles, in empty cases.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system forautomatically feeding the correct number of bottles on the conveyortrack for the filled bottles, and to initiate the actual transfer cycleoperative to transfer the bottles into the empty cases when theprerequisite number of'bottles are in the proper positions thereof.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of apneumatic control system for automatically controlling the cyclingoperation of the packing machaine in a reliable and safe manner, and toprevent faulty operation thereof.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of acase feeding arrangement operative to feed the empty bottle cases intothe packing machine in the required manner.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of asimple control system including pneumatic and electric controls foroperating the feed system for the empty bottle cases feeding the sameinto the packing machine to be filled thereat with the filled and cappedbottles.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a packing machine provided with a bottle gripping head in which theindividual bottle gripping cups may be readily replaced andinterchanged, for eX- ample, in case of defects or repairs or to adaptthe machine to other objects to be packed.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of abottle-gripping head provided with bottlegripping cups which may bereadilyconverted into a system automatically detecting defects in thequantity as well as in the quality of the individual bottles. Anotherobject of the present invention resides in the provision of a packingmachine for packing bottles into empty cases which is automaticallycontrolled and which prevents in -a very reliable manner any faultyoperations thereof.

ICC

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description'when takenin connection with the accompanying drawing which shows, for purposes ofillustration only, one embodiment in accordance with the presentinvention and wherein:

FIG. Us a partial perspective view of the overall construction of thepacking machine in accordance with the present invention illustratingthe main components there. of which transfer the filled bottles from abottle conveyor track into an empty case disposed on a case conveyortrack by means of 1a bottle-gripping head mounted and guided on theframe structure of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic top plan view showing a section of the bottleconveyor track and the automatic distributor arrangement thereof inaccordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is \a partial perspective view of the bottle conveyor track,the case conveyor track, and the bottlegripping head in its variousoperating positions in relation to certain cam actuating members and tothe conveyor tracks;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevational view of an impulse control valve forthe pneumatic control system in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a partly schematic diagrammatic view of the control systemin accordance with the present invention for elfecting the horizontalmovement of the bottle-gripping head showing certain parts thereof incross section on an enlarged scale for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 6 is a partly schematic diagrammatic view of the bottle-grippinghead in side elevational view and partly in section and indicating theoperative connection thereof illustrated schematically with thedifierent valves forming part of the pneumatic control system effectingthe vertical movement of the bottle-gripping head;

FIGURE 7 is -a perspective enlarged View of a cam arrangement formingpart of the ,bottle-gripping-head control system in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIGURE 8 is a schematic diagrammatic view, showing certain of theoperating members in cross section on an enlarged scale, of the controlsystem cooperating with the cam arrangement of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale,through a bottle-gripping cup in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 10 is a somewhat schematic side-elevational view of the forwardconveying system [for the empty and filled cases in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIGURE 11 is a top plan view of the forward conveying systemillustration in FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 12 is a schematic perspective view of the forward conveyor systemfor the cases used in the packing machine in accordance with the presentinvention.

The packing machine in accordance with the present invention comprises afirst conveyor track, which will be referred to hereinafter as thebottle conveyor track, on which bottles are moved forwardly in irregularsequence to an end station, located within the packing machine, andanother conveyor track, which will be referred to hereinafter as thecase conveyor track, on which cases are also moved (forwardly in anirregular sequence to the filling station also located within thepacking machine in accordance with the present invention. Additionally,the packing machine in accordance with the present in vention includes abottle-gripping-head which, in the course of an operating cycle, isactuated and moved in such a manner that the bottles on the firstconveyor track, i.e., on the bottle conveyor track, are gripped by thebottle-gripping-head, are thereupon transported from the bottle conveyortrack to the case conveyor track, and, there after, are placed into anempty case disposed on the case conveyor track within the fillingstation.

Additionally, control devices are provided in the packing machineaccording to the present invention for inidating the operating cyclefrom an initial position of the various parts thereof in which thebottle-gripping-head had been stopped upon completion of the previousoperating cycle if such stoppage is occasioned, for instance, by idlingor faulty operational conditions of the packing machine.

The operating cycle of the packing machine in accordance with thepresent invention is subdivided into two consecutive periods, namelyinto a first period in which the bottles are gripped by thebottle-gripping-head and are transported to an intermediate position andinto a second period in which the bottles are transported from thisso-called intermediate position over to the empty case awaiting thebottles within the filling station and the actual emptying or filling ofthe bottles down and into the empty case. The first operating period isthereby controlled by control devices which are effected or actuated bythe bottles through impulse control devices and are placed intooperation when all of the impulses necessary for proper operationthereof are received so as to indicate thereby that a 'suflicient supplyof bottles, i.e., the prerequisite number of bottles is available forpacking purposes. Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the presentinvention is to achieve an effective control for the packing machine.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the fact that theaforementioned second period is initiated or actuated by governing orcontrol devices in such a manner as to constitute a continuation of thefirst period which control or governing devices in turn are actuated byim pulse control devices receiving the corresponding control impulsesfrom an empty case when in the proper position on the case conveyortrack at the filling station. It is, therefore, an additional object ofthe present invention and a requirement for proper operation of thepacking machine in accordance with the present invention whichautomatically packs a predetermined number of bottles, for example,twenty four in number, into a case located at a predetermined positionon a conveyor track within the machine, that the empty cases are broughtforward or supplied to this position in a manner which is as continuousas possible so that the empty cases will not accurrnulate and causemutual interference and disturbance in case the operation of the packingmachine per se should stop for any reason whatsoever.

Accordingly, it is also a purpose and object of the present invention toprovide an eifective forward conveying or feed system for the emptycases through the packing machine in accordance with the presentinvention which packs a predetermined number of bottles or the like intoeach case whereby the forward conveying or supply system of the cases isso controlled that the empty cases are, only moved or conveyed in theforward direction thereof when such forward conveyance cannot disturb orimpair the smooth flow and even movement of the cases through thepacking machine.

For that purpose, the present invention provides a control system forbringing forwardly or supplying empty cases into the packing machine inwhich the empty cases to be filled within the packing machine withobjects, such as bottles, are conveyed to a packing point or stationwithin the machine where the empty case is automatically filled and thencontinues its forward transportation, and in which the transportation ofthe filled cases away from the packing point is automatically releasedor initiated by the weight of the filled case to actuate a trip startingmechanism in the form of a catch lever. The trip starting mechanismincluding the catch lever, according to another feature of the presentinvention, is provided additionally with an impulse control device whichupon release of the filled case, i.e., when the case no longer restsagainst the catch lever, will initiate the resumed conveyance of emptycases for further transportation into the packing machine, and moreparticularly, to the packing point thereof.

The present invention also relates, in its more general aspect, to thecontrol of those machines and apparatus which are operative, by the useof a pneumatic medium under pressure, such as compressed air, to performworking operations on certain goods as soon as certain prerequisiteconditions have been complied with.

In the automatic operation of industrial plants, it happens oftentimesthat one kind of goods or materials will be supplied to a particularmachine which will also receive, at some other time, some other kind ofgoods or materials upon which this same machine will also perform aworking operation that will act simultaneously only on a certainquantity of each. As a typical example of this general type of machinesmay be mentioned packing machines where the produced and/ or processedgoods are supplied to the packing machines, for example, on a conveyorbelt while the machine is also supplied at the same time with packagingmeans, for example, on another conveyor belt onto which a certain numberor a certain quantity of the produced or processed goods is transferredby a packaging head or the like from the goods conveyor belt to thepackaging means on the packaging conveyor belt.

Experience has taught that not even in the best-organized industrialplants will the flow of goods run evenly and continually at all times.Consequently, every automatic working operation for such machines orinstallations calls for an appropriate control system which will startthe operating cycle only on the condition that certain prerequisiterequirements have been met. When packing, for example, objects brittlein packaging, it will be necessary that the working operation will beperformed only if the correct number of undamaged objects are presentand that the packaging means will be in the correct position within thepackaging means.

Accordingly, the present invention also aims at producing a very simplesystem for the control of such interrelated working operations where theoperation will only be performed when several prerequisites have beencomplied with.

The control system with which the present invention is concerned is ofthe type in which compressed air is supplied to the pneumatic deviceswhich operate or initiate the different steps of the operation thereofby means of suitable slide valve control devices, the piston-type orspool-like slide members of which reciprocate between two end positionsof which one may be, for instance, an active position and the other aninactive position or in which both positions may be active positions.

According to the present invention, the pistonor spooltype slide memberof a slide valve is caused to he moved from one end position thereof tothe other by a pressure chamber, located at one end of the slide memberwhich is supplied with compressed air connected in a line system inparallel with the compressed air supply leading to the impulse controlvalves so as to cause an increase in pressure or over-pressure in thischamber, in case and only in case all of the respective impulse controlvalves are closed.

The impulse control valves according to the present invention arethereby so interconnected with each other that the corresponding valveis closed at the exact moment the condition has been complied with atthose points of the operating cycle where this condition has to becomplied with, and is opened again when this condition no longer exists.The opposite end of the control valve in accordance with the presentinvention may be either spring-loaded to obtain the return movementthereof or may be so constructed as to form a pressure chamber operativeto effect the return movement by compressed air within this pressurechamber.

' present invention, this last-mentioned end of the control slide valvemay, in other cases, have a greater or smaller pressure surface than thefirst-mentioned end thereof. In case the pressure surfaces of the spoolsof the slide valve assemblies are of dilferent sizes, i.e., where one ofthe slide members has a greater pressure surface, closure of the impulsecontrol valve in parallel with the other pres- :sure chamber willimmediately cause the slide assembly to be moved to the opposite endposition thereof. On the other hand, where the pressure surfaces areessentially the same, the slide member will be moved to the oppositeposition thereof only when one of the impulse control valves connectedwith the first pressure :chamber is eifectively opened.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Bottle supply system Referring now to the drawingwherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views todesignate corresponding parts, and more particularly to FIG- URE 1thereof, reference numeral 42 generally designates a roller-typeconveyor section by which an empty case is carried forward into aposition corresponding to a predetermined packing position and isstopped thereat by devices not shown in this view. The control devicesstopping the empty cases and releasing the same upon being filled by theweight of the case in such a manner that each case will be stopped inthe proper position thereof within the packing machine for filling whilebeing empty, and for being thereupon carried forwardly by the rollers 42as soon as it is filled will be more fully described hereinafter byreference to FIGURES 10, 11 and 12.

An impulse control valve 57, which is not shown in FIGURE 1 and which isillustrated in detail in FIGURE 8 and shown again schematically inFIGURE 12 of the drawing, is actuated by an empty case and is releasedas soon as the case is filled with the required number of bottles aswill become more apparent from the detailed description in connectionwith FIGURES through 12.

It is also understood that the control devices for moving forward theempty and filled cases as well as the controls for each individual casemay be designed and constructed in any suitable appropriate manner knownin the prior art, one embodiment thereof being specifically illustratedand described hereinafter by reference to FIG- URES 10 through 12.

As a rule, twenty-four half-bottles are packed in an upright position ineach empty case so that there are four parallel rows of bottles with sixbottles in each row in each case when filled. As shown in FIGURES 1 and2 of the drawing, four parallel bottle conveyor tracks 61, 62, 63 and64-are provided at the packing machine in accordance with the presentinvention whereby each track supplies bottles to the machine. Actually,in some instances, the bottles may be supplied onto each of these fourtracks 61, 62, 63 and 64 from individual bottling and capping apparatusof which a corresponding number would be provided in that case. However,the multiplicity of bottling and capping apparatus is in factunnecessary, because, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, a single main supplytrack 65 may be utilized which splits into two branch tracks 66 and 67,and which, in turn, splits again into the four bottle conveyor tracks61, 62, 63 and 64 so that the same are supplied from a single main track65 in the construction according to the present invention.

A triple-armed control rocker member generally designated by referencenumeral 69 (FIGURE 2) which is pivotal about a vertical axis or shaft 68may be provided therefor in front of the main entrance to the firstbifurcation leading into branch tracks 66 and 67. The triple armedcontrol rocker member (control arm) 69 which is pivotally mounted aboutthe pivot axis 68 thereof is provided with a blocking arm portion 69'extending in a direction away from the pivot shaft 68 opposite thedirection of movement of the conveyor system 74 indicated by arrow A.The triple-armed rocker member 69 additionally includes two uniformobliquely shorter control arm portions 70 and 71 which point in theopposite direction from arm portions 69, i.e., in the direction frompivot shaft 68 thereof corresponding to the direction of movementindicated by the arrow A. The main control arm portion 69 therebyoperates as switching arm whereas the shorter arm portions 70 and 71 ofthe triple-armed rocker member 69 act as control members.

As soon as a bottle reaches the branching point where the main conveyortrack 65 splits into the two branch tracks 66 and 67, the main controlarm 69' will be disposed in such a manner as to block one of the branchtracks, for example, branch track 66 in the position illustrated inFIGURE 2. As a result thereof, the bottle will be moved forwardly intothe initial portion of the other branch track 67. However, when thisbottle has moved a sufiicient distance onto this branch track 67, thebottle will come in contact with the corresponding control arm portion71 whereby the rocker member 69 is rotated about the pivot 68 thereof ina clockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 2 so that the control arm 69will swing over to block the branch track 67 for the next bottle.Consequently, the branch track 67 onto which the bottle has just beenconveyed is thereby blocked so that the next bottle in turn will beconveyed onto the first branch track 66. It is quite obvious that thisarrangement will convey the bottles in -a continuous stream alternatelyto each of the two branch tracks 66 and 67.

Each of the two branch tracks 66 and 67 terminates in a correspondingbifurcation provided with a distributor device 72 and 73, respectively,which is identical or equivalent to the triple-armed rocker member 69both as to construction and/or operation so that a continuous stream ofbottles derived from a single bottling and capping point over main track65 will be distributed evenly into the four individual tracks 61, 62, 63and 64 by the arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 2 with every fourthbottle from the bottling and capping apparatus arriving on the sametrack.

The bottle conveyor track includes an endless, moving belt generallydesignated by reference numeral 74 (FIG- URES 1 and 2) which carriesalong the upper side thereof guide members 75 and 75 of any suitableconstruction which branch off into the respective tracks. However, alongthe last section of the case conveyor track 74, the center guides 75 arepreferably of greatly reduced dimension in order to enable the bottlesto move as close together into the position relative to each other whichthey must assume in the case in which they are to be packed.

An impulse control valve 76, 77, 78 and 79 is disposed at the end ofeach row or track 61, 62, 63 and 64, respectively, (FIGURES l and 5)against which the first bottle in each row of the conveyor tracks 61,62, 63 and 64 presses with a predetermined force. The impulse controlvalves 76, 77, 78 and 79, which are preferably of identical constructionand which will be described more fully hereinafter, are spring loaded insuch a manner that it will take a minimum of six bottles in each singlerow or track 61 through 64 in order to actuate a respective one of theseimpulse control valves. Preferably, however, a spring stiffness isselected which is somewhat greater, for instance, in such a way thateach control valve is actuated only by the presence of eight bottles ina row.

The impulse control valves 76, 77, 78 and 79 will initiate the movementand gripping operation of the bottle-gripping head 103 as soon as all ofthese impulse control valves are actuated by the correct number ofbottles in each of the rows or tracks 61 through 64 as will appear morefully hereinafter in connection with the description of the controlsystem.

7 Bottle-gripping-head system At one point in the conveyor system, andmore particularly where the conveyance or transportation of theindividual bottles ends within the packing machine, a frameworkgenerally designated by reference numeral 100 is provided (FIGURE 1)which includes two horizontal guide rods 101 and 102 at the top thereoffor guiding therealong the bottle-gripping-head 103 horizontally backand forth from an initial position I (FIGURE 3) corresponding to one endposition of the operating cycle in which the bottle-gripping-head 103 isdisposed directly above an empty case in the waiting position thereof onthe case-conveyor-track, waiting thereat to be filled with bottles, intoanother position II (FIGURE 3) corresponding to another end position inthe operating cycle in which the bottle-gripping-head 103 is disposeddirectly above the first six bottles in each of the four single tracks61, 62, 63 and 64. The horizontal movement of the bottlegripping-head103 takes place by means of pistons 104 (FIGURE 5) reciprocating in twoparallel-acting, horizontally disposed pneumatic cylinders 105 (FIGURESl and 5). Additionally, the bottle-gripping-head 103 is carried on apiston assembly 106, 106' (FIGURES 1 and 6) adapted to move in avertically disposed pneumatic cylinder 107 which is operative to lowerthe bottle-gripping-head 103 into a lower position thereof correspondingto the position III (FIGURE 3) from the end position II thereof -tothereby enable gripping of the bottles disposed on the tracks 61 through64, and thereupon lifting the same to the end position corresponding toposition IV (FIGURE 3). The bottle-gripping-hea'd 103 thereupon moves ortransports the bottles in a firmly gripped manner from position IV overto the end position designated by position V (FIGURE 3) by actuation ofpistons 105 in cylinders 104. While in the end position V (FIGURE 3),the bottle-gripping-head 103 is lowered again by the piston-cylinderassembly 106, 106', 107 into another lower position designated by VI(FIG- URE 3) whereby the bottles are lowered into the awaiting emptycase, and are thereafter emptied into this case, whereupon thebottle-gripping-head 103 returns in the empty condition thereof to thefirst end position designated by I (FIGURE 3). The foregoing brieflydescribes the six main or end positions designated by I, II, III, IV, Vand VI into which the bottle-gripping-head 103 is moved sequentiallyduring an operating cycle, whereby positions I and V correspond to thefirst end position and positions II and IV to the second end position ofthe bottle-gripping-head 103 in the horizontal movement thereof alongguide rails 101, whereas the positions III and VI correspond to thelowered positions of the bottle-gripping-head 103 into which thebottle-gripping-head 103 is lowered from the end position II and V,respectively, and out of which the bottle-gripping-head 103 is raisedagain into the respective positions IV and I. The actual control forachieving these various positions will be described more fullyhereinafter.

The various positions I through VI appear more clearly in FIGURE 3 ofthe drawing.

The foregoing also indicates that the movement of the packing member orbottle-gripping-head 103 has its starting point in position I during theoperating cycle in which the movement of the bottle-gripping-head 103 isactuated or effected by the impulse control valve 108 (FIGURES 4 and 5)which carries a pivot arm 109 (FIGURE 4) adapted to rotate about a pivotpin 110. The outer free end of the pivot arm 109 is actuated by theprojection 111 at the bottle-gripping-head 103 in such a manner that thepivot arm 109 is pivoted or swung counterclockwise in a direction thatwill cause valve 108- to be actuated or effected thereby only when thebottle-gripping-head 103 together with the projection 111 thereof movesupwardly from a lowered position; however, as the bottle-grippinghead islowered the projection 111 actuates the arm 109 in a direction thatswings pivot arm 109 clockwise, i.e.,

away from the impulse control device of the valve 108 whereby theimpulse control device 108 remains unaffected. A return spring 112 urgesthe pivot arm 109 back to an intermediate position thereof so as to beready to be moved to the release position thereof as soon as theprojection 111 has been moved downwardly a certain distance. In order tofacilitate the circumventing movement of the pivot a-rm 109, the outerend of the pivot arm 109 is provided or constructed as a coil spring113.

The impulse control valve 108 (FIGURE 5) is operatively connected overline or conduit 181 with the four impulse control valves 76 through 79arranged in the four bottle tracks 61 through 64 respectively, which areactuated by the bottles in these tracks, and, more particularly, isconnected with the impulse control valves 76 through 79 in such a mannerthat when and only in case when all five valves 76 through 79 and 108are actuated, and only in such a case, compressed air will be suppliedto the two cylinders which act in parallel to thereby move thebottle-gripping-head 103 from the starting position I to the position 11thereof. The details of operation of how this is achieved will bedescribed more fully hereinafter by reference to a complete descriptionof FIGURE 5. As the bottle-gripping-head 103 moves from position I intothe position II, a slidable rod extending outwardly from thebottle-gripping-head 103 in a direction corresponding to the directionof movement of the conveyor belt 74 is adapted to come into contact witha cam face formed by a cam plate 114 (FIGURES 1, 3 and 6) adapted torotate about a horizontal pivot pin (FIGURE 3) upwardly from thehorizontal position thereof in any suitable manner. If the cam face 114is in proper place, it will come into contact With the slidable rod 115and will press the same axially inwardly as the bottle-gripping-head 103reaches the position II. This in turn will open a valve gene-rallydesignated by reference 116 (FIG- URE 6) which is operative to permitthe escape of air from the lower side or working chamber 107' of thepiston 106' reciprocating within the vertical pneumatic cylindergenerally designated by reference numeral 107, whereby thebottle-gripping-head 103 is lowered in the direction towards the neck ofthe bottle into the position III thereof.

The underside of the bottle-gripping-head 103 carries a predeterminednumber of bottle-gripping cups 117 which corresponds to the exact numberand ultimate disposition of the bottles in the case to be filled. Thedetails and construction of each bottle-gripping cup 117 will bedescribed more fully hereinafter by reference to FIGURE 9.

The bottle-gripping-head 103 is provided with another axially slidingrod 118 (FIGURES 1 and 3) adapted to cooperate with a relativelystationary cam face 119 (FIG- URES 3 and 6) suitably secured on arelatively stationary part of the packing machine such as the frame(100) thereof and which is so constructed and arranged as to actuate theaxially sliding rod 118 when. the bottle-gripping-head 103 is loweredinto the position III thereof from the position II thereof. Actuation ofthe axially sliding rod 118 causes a control slide valve generallydesignated by reference numeral 120 (FIGURE 6) to admit compressed airto the individual bottle-gripping cups 117 which in the meantime hadbeen lowered so as to assume their respective positions around eachbottle-neck whereby each of the cups 117 is operative to grip onebottle. The compressed air is thereby supplied from any suitable sourcesuch as a tank or compressed air reservoir fed by a compressor of anyappropriate construction over a supply or input line 154 (FIGURE 6)which is in communication with the cylinder space of cylinder 120 over abranch line 154. The cylinder 120 is operatively connected with theindividual cups 117 of the bottle-gripping-head 103 over a line 321, andis also operatively connected over a line portion 321' in series withthe line 321 with a cylinder 121 (FIGURE 6) which is, therefore,supplied with compressed air at the same time compressed air is suppliedto the bottle-gripping cups 117. The cylinder 121 includes a pistonmember 122' normally springloaded by a coil spring 121' so that thepiston member 122 normally assumes the upper position thereof as viewedin FIGURE 6. The piston member 122 is provided with a piston rod 122which, in turn, includes a cam portion 123 adapted to cooperate with aroller-type cam follower 124 rotatably mounted at the end of sliding rod124 so as to return the valve generally designated by reference numeral116 to a position thereof whereby compressed air is again supplied tothe lower side or working chamber 107 within the vertically arrangedcylinder 107 over line 156.

This is accomplished by the operative engagement of the cam portion 123suitably mounted or provided at the piston rod 122 which during thedownward movement of the piston member and piston rod assembly 122, 122comes into operative engagement with the cam follower 124' mounted atthe end of the piston rod 124 as soon as compressed air is supplied overline 321 and line 321 from the cylinder 120 to the upper space of thecylinder 121 whereby the axially-movable sliding rod 124 is displaced inthe axial direction thereof toward the left into the position thereofillustrated in FIGURE 6. As is quite clearly visible from FIGURE 6, thepiston rod 124 effects axial displacement of the slide assemblyincluding piston rod 151 and spool members 151' and 151" within cylinder116 in a direction opposite to that described hereinabove when theaxially displaceable sliding rod 115 came into operative engagement withcam plate 114. The details of the operation in proper sequence will bedescribed more fully hereinafter. It suffices for the present purposesto mention that the operative engagement of the cam portion 123 with thecam follower 124' applies compressed air from the compressed-air supplyline 154 over cylinder 116 and line 156 to the lower side 107' of thevertically disposed cylinder 107 whereby the piston member 106' togetherwith the piston rod 106 and therewith the bottle-gripping-head 103 isagain lifted, however, at that time with the bottles firmly gripped bythe individual respective bottle-gripping-cups 117 to which compressedair is now supplied also over line 321, valve 120 and line 154'.

As the bottle-gripping-head 103 is lifted in the manner describedhereinabove, the axially sliding rod 115 which previously by engagementwith the cam member 114 was operative to place the piston-like spoolmembers 151' and 151" within cylinder 116 into such a position that the'bottle-gripping-head 103 had been lowered, again had been movedoutwardly in the axial direction thereof by the intervening interactionbetween cam member 123 and cam follower 124, i.e., in the left directionas viewed in FIGURE 6. Consequently, the axially slidable rod 115 willabut against the underside of the plate or cam memher 114 as thebottle-gripping-head 103 is lifted thereby lifting or swinging the camplate 114 upwardly so as not to move the axially slidable rod 115 into aposition which would cause lowering of the bottle-gripping-head 103. Inother words, during upward movement of bottle-grippinghead 103, the camplate 114 will not actuate the sliding rod 115.

An impulse control valve 125 is provided at the right end of thehorizontal trajectory or path of the bottlegripping-head 103 as viewedin FIGURES 1 and 5 which is of identical construction as the impulsecontrol valve 108 mentioned hereinabove. FIGURE 1 clearly shows therespective positions of the pivot arms 109 and 125' of the impulsecontrol valves 108 and 125 which are mounted in the horizontal path ofthe bottle-gripping-head 103, for example, on the horizontal strut 101disposed below the tubular frame member 101 and interconnecting thedownwardly bent leg portions thereof. The impulse control valve 125which is identical with the valve 108 is operative in such a manner thatit will be actuated or affected when the bottle-gripping-head 103 movesfrom the lowered position III thereof to the upper position IV pliedwith compressed air during this movement.

10 r thereof (FIGURE 3) whereas it remains, in contrast thereto,unaffected when the bottle-gripping-head 103 is moved or displacedhorizontally from the inital position I directly above the case conveyor42 to the position II thereof directly above the bottle conveyor 74 andthereupon vertically from position II to position III. The impulsecontrol valve 125 is interconnected in the control system in such amanner that when it is actuated it will provide a supply of compressedair to the horizontal compressed-air cylinders 105 (FIGURES l and 5) inorder that the bottle-gripping-head 103 will be displaced from itsposition IV directly above the bottle track 74 into the position Vdirectly above the case track 42. Obviously, the bottles now move alongwith the horizontal movement of the bottle-gripping-head 103 since theyare firmly gripped by the bottle-gripping-cups 117 which remain sup-Furthermore, by suitably arranging the actuating lever of the impulsecontrol valve 125 in the path of the bottlegri-pping-head 103 it can beso arranged that it will be actuated only during the upward movement ofthe bottlegripping-head 103 from the position III thereof when itarrives about in position 1V thereof but not during the downwardmovement thereof.

As the bottle-gripping-head 103 approaches the end of the horizontaltrajectory or movement from the position 1V into the position V thereof,the axially sliding rod 115 comes into the path of a cam arrangement 129which is shown on an enlarged scale in a perspective view thereof inFIGURE 7, and which acts on the axially sliding rod 115 in a mannercorresponding to the cam plate 114. In other words, as soon as theaxially sliding rod 115 comes into engagement with the cam arrangement129 illustrated in FIGURE 7, the axially sliding rod 115 is pushedaxially inwardly in the direction of the cylinder 150, Le, in the rightdirection as viewed in FIGURE 6, whereupon the lower cylnder space 107within cylinder 107 disposed below the cylinder member 106 is placedinto communication with the discharge line 155 over the line 156 so thatthe bottle-gripping-head 103 is lowered in the position VI thereof. Thecam arrangement 129, however, is so constructed as to actuate rod 115only if at the same time an empty case is in the proper position on thecase conveyor track 42 to receive the bottles firmly gripped by theindividual bottle-gripping cups 117. If no empty case is in the properposition on the case conveyor track 42 ready to be filled with thebottles held by the bottle-gripping cups 117, the bottle-gripping-head103 will remain in the position V thereof with the bottles firmlygripped by each of the bottle-gripping cups 117 until an empty caseactually arrives in position on the case conveyor track 42. The axiallysliding rod 115 will then be actuated by the cam arrangement 129illustrated in FIGURE 7, as will appear more fully hereinafter, as soonas the empty case arrives in the proper position thereof whereupon thebottlegripping-head 103 is lowered into position VI thereof.

This sequence of operation is achieved by the aforementioned impulsecontrol valve 57 (FIGURES 8 and 12) which is operative to effectivelysupply compressed air from the compressed air input or supply line 356(FIG- URE 8) over the control slide valve generally designated byreference numeral 126 to the compressed air cylinder 127 (FIGURES 7 and8) which is operatively connected with the control slide valve 126 by aline 357. A piston member 128' adapted to reciprocate within thecylinder 127 is mounted on a piston rod 128 which in turn is operativeto move a vertically movable cam plate 129 inwardly and outwardly intothe path of the axially sliding rod 115 in a horizontal direction. Thecam plate 129, as mentioned hereinabove, in that case actuates theaxially sliding rod 115 (FIGURES 6 and 7) by axially displacing the sameinwardly in the direction toward the cylinder thereof if the axiallysliding rod 115 has already arrived in a position in front of the camface of cam plate 129. If, however, the axially sliding rod 115 has notyet arrived in front of the cam face of cam plate 129, the outer end ofthe axially sliding rod 115 will be pushed or axially moved inwardly bythe cam face of the plate 129 as soon as the bottle-gripping-head 103arrives in that position. For the same reason that cam plate 114- issuspended or mounted so as to be capable of sliding or pivoting upwardlyand downwardly, as mentioned hereinabove, the cam plate 129 is alsomounted in such way as to be capable of sliding vertically upwardly onthe end of the piston rod 128 by the use of a vertical support pin 130secured to plate 129 which is slidably fitted into or received in aguide bore provided in bracket plate 131 which in turn is suitablysecured to be the end of the piston rod 128. Simultaneously therewith,an extra safeguard in the form of a rotating plate 132 is provided whichis held by gravity in a rotary position thereof in which it abutsagainst the underside of the cam plate 129' but which is adapted to bepivoted downwardly by the end of the axially sliding rod 115 when thelatter is pushed down. As soon as the axially sliding rod 115 has passedthe rotary blocking plate 132, the latter will tilt back to its normalposition under gravity abutting against the underside of the cam plate129 regardless of whether the cam plate 129 has or has not been axiallymoved outwardly by the piston member 128' disposed within cylinder 127(FIGURE 7). This arrangement is to prevent the forward movement of anempty case which would cause cam plate 129 to be pressed outwardly bythe supply of compressed air in the cylinder 127 exactly at the momentwhen the bottlegripping-head 103 is lifted into the upper position 1thereof.

As mentioned hereinabove, an axially inward displacement of the axiallysliding rod 115, i.e., a move ment thereof toward the right as viewed inFIGURE 6, causes the bottle-gripping-head 103 with the bottles suspendedtherein to be iowered since the control valve 116 is thereby actuated tocause a discharge of the compressed air within cylinder 107 below thepiston member 106 through the line 1 56 and discharge line 155. When thebottoms of the bottles are in proper position directly above the bottomof the case disposed therebelow, a

cam face 133 (FIGURE 3) will come into operative engagement with a rod134 (FIGURES 3 and 6) which is secured to the opposite end of the valvesliding assembly 320, 320' and 320" which itself is operative to controlthe supply of compressed air to the bottle-gripping-cups 1'17 over line321 as mentioned hereinabove. As a result of the actuation of theaxially sliding rod 134 by engagement with the cam 133, the axiallysliding rod 134 is moved in the axially inward direction toward thecylinder 120, i.e., toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 3 and in theupward direction as viewed in FIGURE 6, whereupon the control slidevalve assembly 320, 320', 3-20" is moved into a position in which theair is released from the bottle-gripping cups 117 over line 321 anddischarge line 322. Consequently, the bottles are released as soon asthe pressure is removed from the bottle-gripping cups 117 and thebottles are permitted to drop just a short distance which isinsufficient to damage the bottles but which, at the same time, issufiicient for the bottle necks to clear the bottlegripping cups 117when the filled case now moves forwardly on the case conveyor track 42as will be described more fully hereinafter. Springs (not illustrated)may also be used in any suitable manner to contribute to the absorptionof any shocks or bumps to which the bottles may be subjected when theyare being let down into the empty case as soon as the cups 1'17 releasethe bottle necks.

At the same time as the air is permitted to escape from thebottle-gripping cups 117 over line 321 and discharge line 322, air isalso permitted to escape from the upper cylinder chamber of cylinder 121whereupon the piston 122 and piston rod 122 including the cam portion123 thereof will be moved back in the upward direction within cylinderr121 by the coil spring 121' whereby the cam follower 124' and therewiththe axially sliding rod 124- and the slide valve assembly 151, 151', 151" is moved axially toward the left as viewed in FIGURE 6 so thatcompressed air from supply line 154 is again permitted to reach thelower cylinder chamber 107 in cylinder 107 over line 156 whereby thebottle-grippinghead 103 is again raised or lifted. Thebottle-grippinghead 103 thereby returns to the first position 1 thereofwhich is the initial position of the cycle of operation. The cycle ofoperation will then repeat itself.

Pneumatic control system for bottle-grippinghead assembly It has beenmentioned by way of introduction, and it has also been referred tohereinabove in this description that the packing machine in accordancewith the present invention is pneumatically operated, i.e., is operatedby the aid of cylinders and reciprocating pistons, the piston rods ofwhich move or displace the respective parts of the packing machine toand fro as the case may be. In general, the cylinders used in connectionwith the pneumatic control system of the present invention are suppliedwith compressed air over control slide valves which may be either cam orimpulse actuated.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 which illustrates the two cam-actuated valvesgenerally designated by reference numerals 116 and 120 of the system inaccordance with the present invention, and more particularly the controlslide valve 16 operative to control lifting and lowering theb'ottle-gripping head 103, and the control slide valve 120 operative toselectively supply or discharge compressed air from the gripping cups117, each valve, includes 'a sliding member provided with two spools orpiston members. The control slide valve 116 includes a piston rod orslide member 1 51 provided with two spools or piston members 151' and151" whereas the control slide valve 120 includes a sliding member orpiston rod 320 provided with two spools 3 20' and 320" rigidly mountedthereon. The contract slide as sembly 1 51, 1'51 and 15'1" carries ateach end thereof an outwardly extending rod 115 and 124 which areactuated by cam-s 114 'and 129 and by cam 126, respectively. Thecylinder casing of valve 116 is provided with an inlet aperture or portessentially in the center thereof in which terminates the supply line154 for supplying compressed air. A discharge line is provided near oneend of the casing 150. Intermediate the point of connection of thedischarge line 15 5 and of the supply line 154, a connecting *line 156terminates in the casing 150 which line 156 leads to the lower workingchamber 107 of cylinder 107 to be controlled thereby. The connecting=line 156 is thereby so arranged and located in the casing 150 of thecontrol slide valve 116 that when the slide assembly 151, 151', 151 ismoved to one end position thereof within the casing 150, for instance,when being forced toward the left by the abutment io'f'cam portion 123against the cam follower 124' on the sliding rod 124, the compressed airsupply line 154 is placed into communication with the connecting line'156 leading to the respective cylinder chamber 107'. As soon as theslide assembly 151, 15 1', 15 1", 124 and 1 15 is pressed or displacedin the opposite direction, for example, by engagement of the rod 115with the cam member .114, i.e., into the right end position thereofwithin casing 150, the air connecting line 156 is effectively broughtinto communication with the discharge line 155 which discharges, forexample, into the open air whereby the pressure medium in the cylinder167, and more particularly in the lower cylinder section 107' ispermitted to escape. Any suitable throttling device which may beadjustable may be inserted thereby into discharge line 155 or possiblyalso into connecting line 156 to control the rate of descent of thebottle gripping head 103. The compressed-air supply line 154, underthese operating conditions, with the slide assembly 151, 151', 15 1" inthe right end position thereof, is effectively connected only with aclosed chamber formed between the two spools 151 and 151". Since the twospools 151' and 151" are of the same size, the compressed air will exertno displacing force on the slide assembly 151, 151', 151" which will,therefore, remain in this position until it is again displaced byengagement of a respective cam portion with the corresponding actuatingor sliding rod.

The operation of the control slide valve 120 is similar to that ofcontrol slide valve member 1-16. The slide assembly includes .a slidingrod 320 and two spools 320' and 320" to which are secured the slidingrods 113 and 134. The casing 120' is provided essentially in the centerthereof with suitable means providing a connector with thecompressed-air branch line 154' which thereby supplies compressed airfrom the reservoir or compresssor over line 154 and 154 to the cylindercasing'1'20'. Near one end of the casing 120, i.e., near the lower endthereof as seen in FIGURE "6 and physically near the end which is valvedby the spool 320', a discharge 322 is provided which leads into theatmosphere. Intermediate the point of connection of the supply line 1 54and of the discharge line 322 a connecting line 321 terminates withincasing .120 which leads to the individual bottle-gripping cups 117 andwhich is so arranged and located within the casing 120', that in one endposition, for example, in the end position of the slide assembly 320,320, 320 illustrated in FIGURE 6 which is the upper end position thereofand which is caused by the abutment of the rod 134 with the cam face ofcam member 133, moving the slide assembly 320, 320' and 620" axiallyupwardly as viewed in FIGURE 6, the connecting line 321 is eifectivelyplaced int-o communication with the discharge line 322 whereupon thebottle gripping-cups 1'17 are without compressed air, and, therefore,are unable to grip the necks of any bottles. As soon as the actuatingrod 118 of the slide assembly 320, 320' and 320 comes into abutment withthe cam face of cam member 119 thereby displacing the slide assembly320, 3 20' and 320" in the opposite direction, i.e., in the downwarddirection as Viewed in FIGURE 6, the supply line 154' supplyingcompressed air is placed into communication with the connecting line 321whereby the bottle-gripping-cups 117 are supplied with compressed airand are operative to grip the bottle necks.

Since both spools 320' and 320" are of the same size, the slide assembly320, 320, 320", 134 and 118 will not change its position from that itassumes when pushed upwardly, as viewed in FIGURE 6 into the positionillustrated therein, since the supply line 154 eifectively suppliescompressed air into a closed chamber formed between the two spools 320and 320".

In addition to the pneumatic control system illustrated in FIGURE 6, thepacking machine in accordance with the present invention includes afurther pneumatic control system including a different type of controlslide valve assembly, illustrated in FIGURE and which will be describednow in greater detail. The slide valve assembly generally designated byreference numeral 159 in FIG- URE 5 includes a casing or housing 159provided with a central bore 160 in which is slidingly disposed a slideassembly generally designated by reference numeral 161 and provided withfour spools 162, 163, 164 and 165. An enlarged chamber 166 and 167 eachaccommodating therein a reciprocating piston 168 and 169 is incommunication at each end with the central bore 160. Each piston 168 and169 is provided with a stem-like piston rod 170 and 171, respectively,which is of such diameter as to be axially slidable within correspondingbores provided in the end portions of the slide assembly 161.

The two outermost spools 162 and 165 of the slide assembly 161 merelyserve to govern or control the same since they are provided with smallbores establishing a 14 communication between a respective chamber andthe space between two adjoining spools 162 and 163 and two adjoiningspools 164 and 165, respectively.

Equidistant from the ends of central bore is provided a supply port 172for supplying compressed air to the casing 159 while a first compressedair connecting port 173 and a first air discharge port 174 are providedin the left portion of casing 159' intermediate the left end of the bore160 and the port 172. A second compressed-air connecting port 175 and asecond air discharge port 176 are provided between the centrallydisposed compressed air inlet port 172 and the right end of the centralbore 160. The two compressed-air connecting ports 173 and 175 arelocated within the casing 159' in such position that when the slideassembly 161 is in one end position thereof, for instance, in the leftend position as viewed in FIGURE 5, a communication is establishedbetween the supply inlet port 172 and the first connecting port 173through the space between the two spools 163 and 164 while the secondconnecting port 175 is placed into communication with the second airdischarge port 176. After the slide assembly 161 is moved to theopposite end position thereof, the space between the spools 163 and 164now establish a communication between the supply port 172 and the secondconnecting port 175 while the first connecting port 173 is placed intocommunication with the first outlet or discharge port 174.

Two narrow passages 177 and 178 branch off from the supply or inlet port172 of which only one will be described more fully since the other is ofidentical construction and operation. More particularly, the passage 177splits into a first branch or passage 179 extending toward the right asviewed in FIGURE 5 and terminating in the left end of the end chamber166 whereas the other branch passage 180 extends toward the left ofFIGURE 5 and connects with a line or conduit 181 suitably connectedthereto. Line 181 is operatively connected with the line or conduit 181'which itself has a plurality of branch lines leading to the respectiveimpulse control valves 76, 77, 78, 79 and 108.

As will become more obvious from an inspection of FIGURE 8, each impulsecontrol valve 79, 78, 77, 76 and 108 which is of identical constructionwith impulse control valve 57, therefore comprises a casing 182 with areciprocating piston member 183 therein which is normally urged againstone end, namely the right end as viewed in FIGURE 8 of the casing 182 bythe spring 184. An air or connecting port 185, for example, in the formof an inlet bore or the like, is provided in the opposite end of thecasing 182 which is adapted to be closed by a stem portion 186 suitablysecured to the piston 183 when the piston is pressed inwardly, i.e.,toward the left as viewed in FIGURE 8 against the force of spring 184 bythe outwardly extending actuating pin portion 187, as will be describedmore fully hereinafter. However, ordinarily, when the piston assembly183, 186, 187 is in the normal position thereof, as shown in FIGURE 8,air is permitted to escape through a discharge opening or port 182suitably provided in casing 182.

Each individual control impulse valve 76, 77, 78, 79 and 108 isconstructed in this manner, and each row of bottles thereby push orpress against a respective actuat ing pin portion 187 extendingoutwardly of the respective housing or casing 182 against the forceexerted by a respective spring 184. It is the extent and magnitude ofthe force exerted against the spring force of spring 184 whichultimately determines whether the respective impulse control valve isclosed or remains open.

It is quite obvious from FIGURE 5 that if a number of such impulsecontrol valves 7679 and 108 each including the elements 182, 183, 184,185, 186, 187 and 182' are operatively connected in parallel with an airline corresponding to line 181', compressed air which normally flowsthrough the passage 177 of the control slide valve 159 will escape intothe atmosphere through any one or all of discharge ports 182' of theseimpulse control valves 76-79 and 108 until each and everyone of theseimpulse control valves which are operatively connected with the line101' are closed by a sufficiently high pressure against the respectiveactuating pin portions 187. In connection with the impulse control valve76, 77, 78 and 79 this will occur, for instance, when at least eightbottles in each row of the four tracks 61, 62, 63 and 64 of the bottleconveyor track 74 (FIGURE 1) rest against the respective actuating pinportion 187 thereof. A fifth impulse control valve 108 is alsooperatively connected with the line 181' and thereby is also operativelyconnected in parallel with the other parallelly connected impulsecontrol valves 76 through 79 which in effect requires closure of all ofthe impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 108 in order to prevent theescape of air flowing from inlet 172 through passage 177, branch passage180, line 181 and line 181 into the atmosphere. In other words, as longas a single one of these impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 108 isopen or unaffected, the pressure in lines 181, 181' will be essentiallyatmospheric pressure. As soon as all the impulse control valves 76through 79 and 108 are closed, immediately thereafter, and only in thatevent, the pressure in line 181, 181' will rise rapidly aboveatmospheric pressure to a predetermined over-pressure.

As mentioned hereinabove, the passage 178 in the right portion of thecasing 159' is identical with passage 177 with the modification that theline 189 connected with the outwardly extending branch passage 178'itself is only connected with a single impulse control valve, namelywith the impulse control valve 125. The in- Wardly extending branchpassage 178" again leads toward the right end of the enlarged endchamber 167.

A connecting line 190 operatively connects the right end of eachcylinder 105 of the two parallelly acting horizontal cylinders 105 withthe first connecting port 173. The second connecting port 175, that is,the one disposed to the right of the intake 172 is operatively connectedwith the left end of each of these horizontal cylinders 105 over lines191 and 191'.

Operation of the pneumatic control system for bottlegripping-head Theoperation of the pneumatic control system for the bottle-gripping-head103 in accordance With the present invention is as follows:

If either of the two lines or conduits 181, 181' or 189 (FIGURE areeffectively closed by the respective impulse control valves 76 through79, 108 and 125 connected thereto, this will cause an increase inpressure over and above atmospheric pressure in the corresponding endchamber 166 or 167 provided within control slide valve 159 andoperatively connected therewith. An increase in the pressure in eitherend chamber 166 or 167 will cause the slide assembly 161, 162, 163, 164,165 to be displaced to one or the other side of the central bore 160provided in valve casing 159 so that the connecting port 175 or 173which is disposed opposite to the side supplied with increased pressurewill be operati-vely placed into communication with the compressedairinlet port 172 (FIGURE 5 In the position of the slide valve assembly161, 162, 163, 164, 165 of control slide valve generally designated byreference numeral 159 illustrated in FIGURE 5, it is assumed that allthe impulse control valves 76 through 79 as well as the impulse controlvalve 108 are closed. As a result thereof, compressed air is suppliedover the inlet port 172 to the connecting port 175 which in turn Willsupply compressed air to the left side of the horizontal cylinders 105through connecting lines 191 and 191. This in turn will cause the pistonmembers 104 and therewith the bottle-gripping-head 103 supported thereonto move toward the right along guide rails 101 and 102, from theposition I to the position II thereof (FIGURE 3).

Under these operating conditions, impulse control valve 125, which issuch as to be actuated only under certain operating conditions, namelyas the bottle-gripping-head 103 is lifted from position III to positionIV thereof will not be actuated or affected as the bottle-gripping-head103 moves from the position I into the position II shown in FIGURE 5.Consequently, as the bottle-grippinghead arrives in the second upper endposition II thereof, the control devices described hereinabove formoving the bottle-gripping-head in the downward direction and thereuponin the upward direction will take over the control to move or displacethe bottle-gripping-head from the position II into the position III andthereupon back into the position IV thereof, and it is only during thisupward return movement of the bottle-gripping-head 103 from the positionIII into the position IV that the impulse control valve is affected oractuated.

It is also clear from FIGURE 5 that as soon as the bottle-gripping-head103 begins to move away from its position I, as compressed air issupplied from inlet port 172 through connecting port 175 and connectinglines 191 and 191' to the left working chambers of horizontal cylinders105, the impulse control valve 108 is again reopened under the force ofthe respective spring 184 thereof disposed in the casing 182 thereof. Asa result thereof, the pressure in the line system 181, 181 and therewithin the end chamber 166 drops back to atmospheric pressure. However, theopening of valve 103 and the consequent pressure drop in lines 181 and181' as well as in chamber 166 will have no effect on the position ofthe slide assembly 161, namely for two reasons:

(a) First and foremost, pistons 168 and 169 are nonpositively or looselyconnected with the stems 170 and 171 thereof within the slide assembly161 so that the return stroke of either piston 168 or 169 does notnecessarily move back the slide assembly 161; and

(b) Additionally, the friction between the slide assembly 161 and thecentral bore within which the former is accommodated requires a positivepredetermined over-pressure acting on the piston of the opposite end inorder to return the slide assembly 161 to the other end position thereoffrom the one in which it presently finds itself.

Such a positive over-pressure can be obtained only when the operatingconditions are such that the impulse control valves which control therespective end chamber 166 and 167 over lines 181 and 189 are closed.This means that the control slide valve 159 including the slide assembly161 and piston assemblies 168, and 169, 171, respectively, will be movedfrom the right end position thereof in which it is shown in FIGURE 5into the left end position thereof, only when the impulse control valve125 is closed, i.e., as the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives orapproaches the end position IV thereof during the upward movement fromthe position III thereof.

Under these circumstances, the pressure in the passage 170, branchpassages 178, 178 and line 189 is permitted to build up to apredetermined over-pressure which acts on the right face of piston 169so that the slide assembly 161 will be moved in the opposite directioninto the left end position thereof as viewed in FIGURE 5, whereuponcompressed air is supplied from the inlet port 172 through theconnecting port 173 into the line 190 thereby applying compressed air tothe right face of the pistons 104. This in turn will move the pistons104 toward the left as viewed in FIGURE 5 and will also move thebottle-gripping-head 103 from the position IV into the position Vthereof.

As is quite obvious from the foregoing description of the control slidevalve 159, the latter is double-acting, which means in practice thatfive impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 108 connected in parallelare operatively connected with one side thereof whereas a single impulsecontrol valve 125 is operatively connected with the other side thereof.In case the impulse control .17 valve 125 is omitted and also passage178 as well as branch passages 178' and 178" together with line 189 areomitted, and a spring is substituted for the piston 169 which willspring-load the slide assembly 161 so as to normally move toward theleft, the slide assembly 161 would thereby become single-acting, whichmeans in practice that only one of the movements thereof would becontrolled by impulse control valves. The same can also be accomplished,instead of omitting passages 178, 178 and 178" and piston 169 andsubstituting therefor a return spring, by providing the piston 168 witha larger effective cross-sectional area than the piston 169. Under thesecircumstances, it would be sufficient to effectively close the line 189.In that case, i.e., when the piston 168 is made larger than the piston169, the control slide valve arrangement is such that with adouble-acting slide valve assembly, the side with the larger piston areawill normally dominate in case the impulse control valves of both sides,i.e., the impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 108 as well as theimpulse control valve 125 and/or any other number of impulse controlvalves which may be operatively connected in parallel with lines 181 and189 are simultaneously closed. Such an arrangement is conceivablydesirable in many cases. In connection with the present case, thesimultaneous control influence which would effectively close the impulsecontrol valves of both sides could not happen, however, it is evidentthat in this case the same effect would be obtained regardless of whichof the two pistons 168 and 169 is made larger.

Furthermore, it is also understood that the control slide valve assembly159 described hereinabove may be varied or modified within the spiritand scope of the present invention, for example, by connectingadditional apparatus to be controlled with the ports 174 and 176 which,in that case, would have to be operated at a somewhat lower pressurethan the main apparatus.

In summary, as the impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 108 areclosed by the application of a predetermined force to the respectiveactuating pin portions 187 thereof, the pressure in the line system 181,181, normally supplied from the inlet port 172 over passage 177 andbranch passage 180, is permitted to build up to a pressure aboveatmospheric pressure whereby the overpressure will also exist withinchamber 166 by reason of the existence of the branch passage 179. Thiswill apply an over-pressure to the left face of the piston 168 therebymoving the slide assembly 161 toward the right end position thereof. Asa result thereof, as soon as the slide assembly 161, 162, 163, 164, 165arrives in the right end position thereof as shown in FIGURE 5, theinlet port 172 is effectively placed into communication with theconnecting port 175 thereby supplying compressed air over lines 191 and191 to the left working chamber of horizontally disposed cylinders 105.As a result thereof, the pistons 104 slidably accommodated withincylinders .105 are actuated and displaced toward the right as viewed inFIGURE so that the bottle-gripping-head 103 is moved from the position Ithereof into the position II thereof.

As the bottle-.gripping-head 103 arrives in the position II thereof, theimpulse control valve 125 is not affected or actuated thereby, asexplained hereinabove, except as the bottle-gripping-head 103 reachesthe position IV from the position III thereof. Consequently, as thebottle-gripping-head 103 arrives at the position II thereof in which thebottle-gripping-head 103 is in the upper position above the bottleconveyor track 74, the control slide valves 116 and 120 will take overthe control function as described hereinabove.

More particularly, as the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in theposition II thereof, the sliding rod 115 comes into abutment with thecam plate 114 so that the slide assembly 151, 151, 151", 115 and 125 ismoved into the other end position thereof, i.e., toward the right intothe right end position thereof as viewed in FIGURE 6,

18 whereupon the lower working chamber 107 of the cylinder 107 whichcontrols the vertical movement of the bottle-gripping-head 103 is placedinto communication with the atmosphere over connecting line 156 anddischarge line 155. This will enable the bottle-gripping-head 103 to belowered into the position III thereof since the cylinder 106' from whichthe bottle-gripping-head is sus pended by piston rod 106 is permitted tomove downwardly as the compressed air is permitted to escape from theworking cylinder 107'.

As soon as the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position IIIthereof, the sliding rod 118 of the valve assembly 320, 320', 320", 118and 134 comes into engagement with the cam plate 119, thereby displacingthe slide assembly 320, 320', 320", 118 and 134 in the direction thereofcorresponding in FIGURE 6 to a downward movement of the slide assembly320, 320', 320", 118 and 134.

' As soon as the last-mentioned slide assembly320, 320', 320', 118 and134 arrives in the opposite end position thereof, i.e., the end positionopposite that shown in FIG- URE 6, compressed air is supplied to theindividual bottlegripping cups 117 from the supply line 154 over branchline 154' and connecting line 321. At the same time, com pressed air isalso supplied from connecting line 321 over series connecting lineportion 321 to the upper working chamber of the cylinder 121 therebyacting against the upper face of piston 122"which is thereby displaceddownwardly, as viewed in FIGURE 6, against the force exertedthereagainst by the coil spring 121'. As the piston assembly 122,122"moves downwardly, the cam portion 123 provided at the piston rod 122comes into engagement with the cam follower 124' rotatably supported onthe sliding rod 124 whereby the slide assembly 151, 151, 151", 124 andis displaced again into the opposite end position thereof, i.e., intothe left end position thereof corresponding to the position illustratedin FIGURE 6, whereby compressed air is permitted to reach from thesupply line Y 154 over connecting line 156 the lower working chamber107' of the cylinder 107. As a result thereof, the piston 106' andpiston rod 106 together with the bottle-grippinghead 103 is again raisedfrom the position III into the position IV thereof, taking along thebottles which have been firmly gripped around their bottle necks by thebottle-gripping cups 117.

As pointed out hereinabove, the cam member 114 is unaffected, i.e., isnot actuated as the bottle-gripping-head 103 moves .into the position IVthereof so that the slide valve assembly 151, 151', 151" remains in theleft end position as shown in FIGURE 6 and compressed air continues tobe supplied to the lower working chamber 107' whereby the pistonassembly 106, 106' and therewith the bottle-gripping-head 103 willremain in the uppermost position thereof.

As also pointed out hereinabove, as soon as the bottlegripping-head 103left its end position I, the impulse control valve 108 opened. However,opening of this impulse control valve 108 accompanied by the pressuredrop in the line 181 and in the end chamber 166 did not have any effecton the position of the slide assembly 161, 162, 163, 164, since thepistons 168 and 169 with the stems 170 and 171 thereof werenon-positively connected with the slide assembly 161 and since thefriction between the slide assembly and more particularly between thecircumferential surfaces of the spools 162, 163, 164, 165 thereof andthe internal surface of the central bore 160 require a positive,predetermined over-pressure against the end of the piston on theopposite side, i.e., against the piston 169 in order to move the slideassembly 161 back to the left end position, as viewed in FIGURE 5.

Such positive over-pressure is obtained as the bottlegripping-head 103with the bottles suspended therefrom by the gripping action of thebottle-gripping cups 117 is conveyed upwardly from the position HI intothe position IV thereof as indicated hereinabove. This is so since theimpulse control valve 125 will be closed as soon as thebottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position IV thereof, whereuponpressure is permitted to build up in the passage 178, branch passages178 and 178" and line 189 and therewith in the right end portion of theend chamber 167, i.e., in the part of the end chamber 167 which willexert pressure against the right end face of the piston 169. As soon assuflicient pressure exists in the line system 189, 178, 178", the piston169 pushes the slide assembly 161 to the left end position thereof,whereby compressed air is supplied from the inlet port 172 over theconnecting port 173 and the connecting line 190 to the right end of thecylinders 105 which in turn will produce a force on the right faces ofpistons 104 moving the same together with the bottle-gripping-head 103toward the left from the position IV into the position V.

As explained hereinabove, as the bottle-gripping head 103 moves fromposition IV to the position V thereof and as it arrives at the latterposition, the impulse control valve 108 does not close, i.e., remainsunaffected so that the other control devices are permitted to take overthe control of the bottle-gripping-head 103, as will appear more fullyherein-after.

The control effecting the downward movement of the bottle-gripping-head103 from the position V thereof into the position VI thereof, thesubsequent release of the bottles gripped by the bottle-gripping cups117 and the return of the bottle-.gripping-head 103 from the position VIinto the position I thereof now takes place as follows:

As the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position V thereof, thesliding rod 115 of the slide assembly 151, 151, 151" comes into contactwith the cam face 129 provided the impulse control valve 57 (FIGURES 8and 12) is closed by the presence of an empty case on the case conveyortrack 42 in position to receive the bottles suspended from thebottle-gripping-head 103. If this is the case, i.e., if the impulsecontrol valve 57 is closed, pressure is permitted to build up within theslide control valve 126, and more particularly within the line system358 and branch passage 359 branching oif the inlet port 365 providedwithin the valve casing 126 to raise the piston 360 as shown in FIGURE 8and therewith the slide assembly 361 provided with two spools 362 and363 which valve the inlet port 356, the connecting port 364 and thedischarge port 366. In the position illustrated in FIGURE 8, i.e., whenthe impulse control valve 57 remains open by the absence of an emptycase in position below the bottle-gripping-head on the bottle conveyortrack 42, the connecting line 357 connecting the cylinder 127 with theconnecting port 364 is placed into communication with the discharge port366 over a connecting passage 363 provided in the spool 363. A coilspring 367 which effectively renders the control slide valve 126, asingleacting val've normally urges the various parts thereof into theposition illustrated in FIGURE '8. Since compressed air through supplyline 356 and inlet port 365 effectively operates against a closedchamber in which the equal areas of spools 362 and 363 are exposed atboth ends thereof, the compressed air at the inlet port 365 isineifective to move the slide assembly 361;

However, as the pressure is permitted to build up in line 358 uponclosure of the bore 185 in the simpulse control valve 57, the slideassembly 361 is raised by the upward movement of the piston 360 therebyeffectively disconnecting the connecting line 357 from the dischargeline 366 while placing the supply line 356 into communication with theconnecting line 357 so that compressed air is supplied to the cylinder127 whereupon the cam plate 129 is effectively moved into the path ofthe rod 115.

As the rod 115 comes into abutment with the cam plate 129, the slideassembly 151, 151', 151" is again moved toward the right as viewed inFIGURE 6 whereupon the compressed air prevailing in the lower Workingchamber 107 of the cylinder 107 is again permitted to 20 escape throughline 156 and discharge line 155 in the manner mentioned hereinabove.

If the bottleagripping-head 103 arrives in the position V thereofwithout an empty case in position on the case conveyor track 42 belowthe bottle-gripping-head 103, nothing will happen until such casearrives and initiates the control cycle in connection with the impulsecontrol valve 57, control slide valve 126, cylinder 127 and pistonassembly 128, 128 in order to move the cam plate 129 into abutment withthe rod in the manner described hereinabove to effect lowering of thebottle-grippinghead 103.

As the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position VI, the slidingrod 134 thereof comes into abutment with the cam plate 133 so that thesliding rod 134 is moved in the direction corresponding to the movementof the bottle-gripping-head 103 from the position I into the position IIthereof which corresponds to an upward movement of the slide valveassembly 320, 320', 320", 118 and 134 as shown in FIGURE 6. As soon asthis upward movement of the slide valve assembly 320, 320', 320" ofFIGURE 6 is completed, the supply of compressed air over lines 154 and154 is disconnected again from the connecting line 321 and therewithfrom the bottle-gripping cups 117 and from the series connecting lineportion 321' and the cylinder 121. As a result thereof, thebottle-gripping cups 117 release their hold on the bottle necks whichare thereupon dropped a small distance into the awaiting empty case. Atthe same time, the piston assembly 122, 122' moves upwardly under theforce exerted thereon by spring 121' so that the cam portion 123 againcomes into abutment with the cam follower 124' after a short lapse oftime and thereby moves the sliding rod 124 of the slide assembly 151,151' and 151" of the control slide valve 116 toward the left so thatcompressed air is again supplied from supply line 154 over connectingline 156 to the lower working chamber 107 of the cylinder 107 whichcauses the piston assembly 106, 106' and therewith thebottle-grippinghead 103 to move upwardly into the initial position I inwhich the cycle of operation starts all over again.

As soon as the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position Ithereof, the impulses control valve 108 is closed as describedhereinabove. However, closure of the impulse control valve 108 in itselfis sufficient to initiate the next cycle of operation unless impulsecontrol valves 76 through 79 are also closed, i.e., unless there is asuflicient number of bottles in each of the four rows 61 through 64 ofthe bottle conveyor track 74 which actuates the impulse control valves76 through 79.

As soon as this is the case, the pressure in the line 181 and 181' ispermitted to build up as described hereinabove, whereupon thebottle-gripping-head 103 is conveyed or displaced from the position Iinto the position II thereof, as described hereinabove. 'T his initiatesthe next cycle of operation.

While thecontrol slide valve arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 5, 6 and8 of the present application is used for controlling the movement andope-ration of the bottle-gripping-head 103 and of the bottle-grippingcups 117, it is understood that the use thereof is not limited to thisspecific application which is only given as an example, but that thecontrol system may be used in connection with any other installation inwhich a movement in the cycle of operation is to be initiated only whena number of predetermined conditions are complied with.

Bottle-gripping cup The detail of one of the bottle-gripping cups 117 isshown in FIGURE 9. As mentioned hereinabove, each bottle-gripping cup117 is secured in the bottle-grippinghead 103 in a position whichcorresponds to the desired positions of the bottles in the case. Forthat purpose, the bottle-gripping-head 103 is provided with a plate 200which form-s the underside thereof. The plate 200 21 is provided with amain duct 201 operatively connected with the lines 321 and 321' while abranch duct 202 leads from the main duct 201 downwardly to eachbottlegripping cup 117.

Each bottle-gripping cup 117 is formed by an inverted cup-like part 203which is provided at the top thereof with a threaded tap 204 forengagement into a female threaded portion 205 machined into theunderside of the bottle-gripping-head plate 200. A gasket 206 used forsealing purposes is placed along the upper edge of the cup-like part 203into an appropriate recess provided thereat. The compressed air suppliedto each bottlegripping cup 117 over the branch duct 202 in the plate 200is supplied within the cuplike part 203 to the elastic gripping member310 over a duct 207 and branch ducts 208 and 209 into the space formedbetween the inner surface of the cuplike part 203 and the outer surfaceof the elastic cup-shaped gripping member 310. The gripping member 310is fitted into the inside of the cuplike part 203 and is so designed asto readily fit around the bottle neck of a bottle in such a way thatupon supply of compressed air over branch ducts 208 and 209, thegripping member 310 securely grips the bottle neck of a bottle. In orderto secure the bottle-gripping member in a readily interchangeable mannerwithin the cup-like part 203, a threaded bushing 311 is provided whichis threadably secured in the lower threaded portion of the cup-likepart.

The construction of the bottle-gripping cup 117 in accordance with thepresent invention makes possible a ready replacement of one type ofgripping cup 117 with another, for example, if the packing machine inaccordance with the present invention is to :be used for bottles havingdiflferent types of bottle necks. Additionally, the present constructionof the bottle-gripping cups also enables ready and relativelyinexpensive replacement of any cup 117 that may develop a leak in apneumatic system. It is quite obvious that otherwise, if a cup developsa leak, the piston 122' in the cylinder 121 which is operative by meansof the cam portion 123 on the piston rod 122 to return the control slidevalve 116 to the lifting position thereof cannot be actuated since thecylinder 121 is operatively connected in parallel with each of thegripping cups 117.

If for one reason or another it becomes desirable to control or sensethe presence of a bottle neck, rather than providing a control systemnormally used at the outlet of the capping or labeling machines, Wherebottles with broken necks are otherwise sorted out, the present systemmay be so modified and arranged as to normally force the bottle-grippingmembers 310 out of the seat thereof so as to intentionally cause a leakif no bottle neck is present when the pressure is supplied over line 321and duct 201 to the individual bottle-gripping cups 117. In either ofthe two aforementioned cases, the cylinder 121 cannot be actuatedbecause no pressure can develop in the line 321 connected in series withthe line 321 as long as one-bottle-gripping cup 117 develops a leak sothat the bottle-gripping head 103 would remain in the position IIIthereof under these circumstances.

The foregoing clearly indicates that the control system of the packingmachine in accordance with the present invention offers a number ofsimple means for the prevention of faulty operation as thebottle-gripping-head 103 which is operative to grip the bottles andtransport the same from the bottle conveyor track 74 to an empty caselocated in a predetermined position on the case conveyor track 42, goesthrough an operating cycle which may be divided into two separateperiods:

(A) The first period controls the movement from an initial positiondirectly above the empty case conveyor track 42 corresponding toposition I over to a position directly above the bottle conveyor track74, corresponding to the position II, thereupon lowering thebottlegripping-head 103 to grip the bottles in the position III thereof,gripping the bottles and lifting the bottlegripping-head 103 with thegripped bottles to the upper position thereof corresponding to theposition IV and transporting the same or displacing the same back to theposition directly above the empty case conveyor track 42 correspondingto the position V.

(B) Then follows the second period, which includes the steps of loweringthe bottle-gripping-head 103 from the position V into the position VIthereof, releasing the bottles in the position VI, and thereupon liftingthe bottlegripping-head 103 back to the initial position correspondingto the position I.

Each of these periods will be initiated or permitted only when allrequirements for faultless and continuous completion of the respectiveperiod are present.

Each separate stage or step of the operating cycle of each period iscontrolled in each position of the bottlegripping-head 103 in such a waythat they will be initiated only if the bottle-gripping-head proceedsfrom the predetermined preceding position.

It is also understood that the individual control devices such as theimpulse control devices and slide valve assemblies of which oneembodiment each has been illustrated and described herein for purposesof illustration, may be modified in many ways insofar as the actualconstruction thereof is concerned without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention. For example, the separate individualimpulse control valves may be constructed as cam-geared slide valves,operatively connected with one another by a series connection.

Case conveyor mechanism Referring now to FIGURES 10, 11 and 12, whichillustrate the case conveying mechanism, a first conveyor systemgenerally designated by reference numeral 210 is shown in FIGURES l0 and12 which is adapted to carry the cases from a case storage (not shown)to the packing machine in accordance with the present invention wherethey are to be filled with a predetermined number of bottles in theupright position thereof. If there is any question of space in thelocation of the packing machine, the first conveyor 210 may be placed inproximity to the ceiling. The conveyor 210 includes a conveyor belt 211which is driven from an electric motor 212 operatively connected withone of the conveyor belt 211 as shown in FIGURES 10 and 12.

The first conveyor belt 211 does not extend all the way to the end ofthe upper conveyor system 210 but instead a number of rollers 213forming a downwardly sloping gravity-type conveyor section of a lengthslightly longer than the length of an empty case are providedintermediate the end of the belt conveyor 211, 211' and the last roller214 of the first conveyor system 210. The last roller 214 of the firstconveyor system 210 of the rollers 211', 213 and 214 arranged in seriesis mounted so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and isoperative to control two valves 215 and 216 (FIGURE 12) which controlthe supply of the empty cases to the packing machine.

The valves 215 and 216 are straight-way air valves which close under theinfluence of a control force thereby causing an impulse producingover-pressure in the connecting air lines 217 and 218, respectively. Theimpulse control valves 215 and 216 may thereby be constructed in amanner identical with that of the impulse control valve 57 illustratedin FIGURE 8.

Upon closure of the impulse control valve 215, an overpressure ispermitted to build up in the connecting line 217 connecting the impulsecontrol valve 215 with the pneumatic control slide valve 219. Compressedair is supplied to the pneumatic control slide valve 219 over supplyline 220. A line 221 interconnects the control slide valve 219 with anactuating cylinder 222 provided with a piston reciprocating thereinwhich actuates the rearwardly dis-' posed hooking arm portion 223' of apivotally secured hooking arm 223 pivotally mounted on the pivot pin224. The pneumatic control slide valve 219 may thereby be so constructedas to supply compressed air to the actuating cylinder 222 overconnecting line 221 when the pressure in line 217 is permitted toincrease upon actuation of the impulse control valve 215. The controlslide valve 219 may thereby be constructed in a manner similar to thatof the control slide valve 126 of FIGURE 8.

The pivotally mounted hooking arm 223 is provided with an outerhook-shaped end portion 225 which is so arranged that as the hooking arm223 is pivoted outwardly, i.e., counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 12,the hook-shaped end portion 225 thereof comes to lie in the path of thecase on conveyor 210, and more particularly projects itself in front ofthe case rolling down under the force of gravity on the rollers 213, andthereby stops the empty case at the end of the case conveyor section210. At the same time, the rearwardly disposed arm portion 223' of thebooking arm 223 actuates an electric switch 226 schematicallyillustrated in FIGURE 12, which is operatively connected over a suitablecontact 227 to stop the driving motor 212. The connection between theelectric switch 226 and the electric contact 227 is made in anyconventional manner so that the control influence of the electric switch226 is operative to stop the driving motor 212 which will remain stoppedthereafter, i.e., remain de-energized even if the switch 226 is nolonger actuated thereupon, whereas the control influence of anotherswitch 228 will be necessary in order to restart or re-energize thedriving motor 212. The switch 228 will be described more fullyhereinafter. The entire transportation or conveyance of the case overthe last section fo the case conveyor system 210 is so timed that theempty case rolls down quicker over the rollers 213 than the normalsupply speed of the next following cases which are transported on theconveyor belt 211, in such a way that as the first case arrives on theroller 214, actuation of the impulse control valve 215 stops the drivingmotor 212 before the next following case has been transported on theconveyor belt 211 such a distance that it would also be able to -rolldown by gravity on the rollers 213. Consequently, the first case willstand by itself at the front end of the case conveyor 210, restingagainst the hook portion 225 of the hook arm 223 while the nextfollowing case is effectively stopped a short distance from the firstcase, i.e., a short distance from the front end of the conveyor belt 211even though the cases were originally transported on the conveyor belt211 essentially endto-end with the first case.

A second conveyor system in the form of an endless chain 229 is providedin the case conveyor system which runs over an upper sprocket wheel 230and a lower sprocket wheel 231 and which carries altogether a plurality,for example, three lifting forks, all designated by reference numerals232. Each lifting fork 232 is so adjusted as to lift a case off the endof the first case conveyor 210 and to lower it as the second conveyor229 moves downwardly. Consequently, the vertical conveyor 229 acts as abucket-type elevator which lowers each empty case as it arrives at thefront end of the first conveyor 210 in a manner to be described morefully hereinafter. The lower sprocket 231 is driven over a clutchdesignated by reference numeral 233 which also will be described morefully hereinafter from a continuously operating electric motor 234. Thebase 234' of the motor 234, however, is mounted so as to be tiltableabout a tilting shaft 235. The tilting movement of the base 234' for themotor 234 is realized by a pneumaic cylinder 236 which is so located inthe system that the piston rod thereof is operative to tilt the motor234 upwardly, i.e., in a clockwise direction in FIGURES and 12.

The clutch 233 consists of two wheels, the circumference of which are infrictional contact with each other. As soon as the base 234' andtherewith the motor 234 are tilted upwardly by actuation of the cylinder236 and the piston provided with piston rod 236' the lower clutch wheel233 is tilted out of engagement with the upper clutch wheel 233 so thatthe drive of the lower sprocket wheel 231 is thereby effectively stoppedwhereupon the bucket elevator 229 ceases to operate.

The disconnecting control cylinder 236 which is operative to stop themovement of the bucket elevator 229 as described hereinabove is suppliedwith compressed air over a-control slide valve 237 in which terminates acompressed air supply line 238 and a connecting line 239 operativelyconnecting control slide valve 237 with the actuating cylinder 236.Another line 240 interconnects the control slide valve 237 with theimpulse control valve 241.

The impulse control valve 216 which is also actuated by the verticallymovable roller member 214 located at the end of the upper conveyorsystem 210 is so interconnected with the control slide valve 237 overline 218 that the slide assembly within the control slide valve 237 isdisplaced into a position in which the supply of compressed air isserved or disconnected as soon as the impulse control valve 216 isclosed by actuation thereof to thereby relieve the cylinder 236 of thecompressed air, reengage clutch 233, and therewith re-start operation ofthe bucket elevator 229, assuming under these circumstances that noother control impulse is produced at the same time by the impulsecontrol valve 241 which is operatively connected with the control slidevalve 237 over line 240. The effect of the impulse control valve 241operatively connected with the control slide valve 237 over line 240will be described more fully hereinafter.

A third case conveyor system generally described by reference numeral.42 is provided in the conveyor system for the empty cases in accordancewith the present invention which is driven by a drive arrangement 243driving the first section thereof. The transmission or drive means 243itself is driven from the same s'haft as the lower sprocket wheel 231 ofthe bucket elevator 229. Consequently, the empty cases will be carriedforwardly on the conveyor 42 only while the bucket elevator 229 is alsorunning.

The conveyor section 42 is also a roller-type conveyor. Rubber V-belts245 engage around the first three rollers 244 of the conveyor system 42which together with these three rollers 244 obtain thereby a good gripunder the case transported thereon and thereby carry the same forwardlyin the direction of the packing machine. Of the next five rollersgenerally designated by reference numeral 246, the first, third andfifth rollers 246a, 246a and 246e are positively driven by a chain 247whereas the second and fourth rollers 24611 and 246d are idling rollers.The rollers 246a, 2460 land 246e that are positively driven areroughened-up at the surfaces thereof in order to enhance the conveyanceor transporting characteristics thereof. An idling roller 248 isdisposed between the second and third rollers 246k and 2460 which ispivotally mounted on upright lugs 249 (FIGURE 12) secured approximatelyto the center of the two hook-shaped rods I 250 which themselves arepivotally supported at the rear end thereof on a shaft 251 and areprovided at the opposite end thereof, i.e. the end farthest away fromthe bucket elevator 229 with hook-shaped portions 252. The hook-shapedrods 250 are normally urged upwardly by respective springs 253. Therearwardly extending projecti-ons 252' and 252" are pivotally securedintermediate the ends thereof so as to form effectively actuatinglevers. As a result of such an arrangement, the upper ends of levers252' and 252 are adapted to be engaged by the arrival of an empty case,thereby pivoting the same in such a manner that the lower ends of levers252 and 252" pivot in a backward direction and therewith press againstthe actuating pin members 187 of impulse control valves 57 and 241.

The Iarnangement of the third conveyor section 42 is such t at when anempty case is put down on the third conveyor system 42 from the bucketconveyor 229, it is gripped by the first rollers 244 provided with theaforementioned V-belts 245 and is thereby carried forwardly as long asthese rollers 244 are driven over the drive arrangement 243 from thecommon drive means also driving the bucket elevator 229. Furthermore,the first driven roller 246a of the driven roller section 246 driven inany suitable manner will also continue to carry an empty case forwardly;however, the idling roller 248 normally rises above the level of thesesond and third rollers 246b and 2460 so that an empty case will onlyclimb up over the idling roller 248 to such an extent that it will restwith its rear edge thereof just barely past the first roller 246a butwill not be carried any further under these circumstances. Only thearrival of a new empty case behind the first empty case in the row ofcases on conveyor track 42 will push the first empty case over theupwardly extending idling roller 248 and will thereby tip it over theobstacle formed thereby so that the first case thereby clears theobstacle in the form of the idling roller 248 and is thereupon moved onuntil it abuts against the hook-shaped end portions 252 of the twohook-shaped rods 250.

The tension spring 253 are adjusted in such a manner that when an emptycase rests on the idling roller 248 the hook-shaped rods 250 will be inthe upper position thereof and thereby block any further movement of thecase. However, when the empty case is filled with bottles upon dischargeof the bottles from the bottle-grippinghead 103, which in practice meansthat the weight thereof is increased by an additional ten to fifteenkilograms, this extra weight will press down the idling roller 248thereby also pressing down the hook-shaped rods 250 operativelyconnected therewith. The respective dimensions of the parts have therebybeen so selected and adjusted that the hook-shaped end portions 252 ofthe hook-shaped rods 250 are pushed below the upper edges of the rollers246 whereupon the impulse control valves 57 and 241 are again disengagedand the filled case is carried forwardly by the driven rollers 246 whichnow come into gripping engagement with the underside of this case. After[having passed the driven fifth roller 246e, the conveyor section 42passes over into an inclined roller conveyor section 254 for taking awaythe filled cases under the force of gravity. Only the first portion ofthe inclined roller conveyor section 254 is illustrated in FIGURE 10.

In order to guide the empty cases correctly within the sectioncontaining the hook-shaped rods 50, guide rails 255 (FIGURE 11) havingleaf springs (not shown) are provided which exert a certain frictionalengagement against the sides of the cases thereby preventing anyunintentional forward movement or conveyance thereof.

Impulse control valves 241 and 57 which are of the straight-way impulsevalves illustrated in FIGURE 8 in connection with the impulse controlvalve 57, are provided along the upper edges of the hook-shaped rods 250in the path to be actuated by lever arms 252' and 252" pivotallysecured, for example, to the hook-shaped end portions 252. The valve 241is thereby operatively connected over line 240 with the control slidevalve 237 which is actuated thereby upon closure of valve 241 in such amanner as to supply compressed air from supply line 238 over valve 237to line 239 and therewith to cylinder 236 whenever the front edge of acase shoves against the hook-portion 252 whereby clutch 233 andtherewith the drive for the bucket elevator 229 and the third conveyorsystem 42 is stopped. The other valve 57 is operatively connected withthe pneumatic control system controlling the filling of the bottles intothe cases as described in connection with FIGURE 8.

In order to complete the description of the forward conveying system forthe empty cases, it may be mentioned that the starting motor switch 228(FIGURES 10 and 12) for controlling the starting operation of the belt211 on the conveyor section 210 is suitably placed or secured to theframe of the bucket elevator 229 in such a manner that the outwardlypointing arm 259 thereof projects into the path of the lifting forks 232when the same are moved upwardly in order to catch another empty case atthe end of the conveyor section 210. The switch 228 is thereby soconstructed and interconnected with the control system that in case thedriving motor 212 is already energized, i.e., rotates, nothing willhappen when the arm 259 is actuated. However, if motor 212 isde-energized, actuation of the switch 228 by engagement of the liftingforks 232 with the arm 259 thereof will start the driving motor 212provided the disconnecting motor switch 222 is not actuated at the sametime. If this were the case, nothing would happen then nor when theswitch 226 is released subsequently thereto.

These control features are realized in practice in any well knownmanner, for instance, with the aid of a relay having lock-in contactswhereby the motor switch 226 is inserted into the lock-in contactcircuit and switch 228 in the connecting circuit.

Operation of the case conveyor system The mode of operation of theforward conveying sys tem for the empty cases in accordance with thepresent invention is as follows:

Empty cases are brought forwardly in a more or less continuous flow onthe conveyor section 210 until a case has been carried forwardly overbucket elevator 229 all the way, i.e., until it rests against thehook-shaped end portions 252. Necessarily, an empty case must be justbehind the first one because the next to the first case is used to shovethe first case over the obstacle formed by the idling roller 248.Furthermore, an empty case is also apt to be on its way down on alifting fork 232 of the bucket elevator 229, and an empty case is in allprobability at that time at the end of the conveyor section 210. If anyempty case is not at the end of the conveyor section 210, the conveyorbelt 211 will continue to operate until an empty case is broughtforwardly to this point thereby causing the motor 212 driving the belt211 to stop by actuation of control roller 214 which, when pressed down,actuates impulse control valve 215. In addition thereto, an empty caseis apt to be at the end of the conveyor belt 211 as the empty cases aregenerally transported end to end while on the conveyor belt 211.

As an empty case is brought into position at the filling place in thepacking machine, the forward end thereof will actuate the lever arms252' and 252" thereby closing the impulse control valves 57 and 241.Actuation of the impulse control valve will shift the control slidevalve 237 into the position thereof in which compressed air is supplied-to the cylinder 236 over line 239 whereby the base 234' together withthe motor 234 is tilted by actuation of the piston 236 so as todisengage the clutch 233 whereby both the bucket elevator 229 and thethird conveyor system 232 are stopped. Thus, whenever an empty caserests against the hook-shaped members 250, the impulse control valve 241is actuated which in turn will control the control slide valve 237 so asto disengage the clutch and therewith the driving motor 234 from thesecond and third conveyor systems 239 and 42, respectively. The controlslide valve 237 will thereby remain in this position disengaging theclutch 233 even after the valve 241 is no longer actuated, i.e., afterthe empty case is filled and is moved forwardly as a result ofdepressing the roller member 248 by the additional weight of the filledcase. The control slide valve 237 can be returned to the positionthereof in which the cylinder 236 is connected with the discharge, i.e.,to the position thereof in which the clutch 233 is re-engaged only byactuation of the impulse control valve 216, i.e., with an empty casepositioned at the last roller member 214 of the first conveyor system.The control slide valve 237 is thereby so constructed, in any suitablemanner, for example, as described hereinabove, that the impulse controlvalve 241 dominates over the

1. AN ARTICLE GRIPPING MECHANISM COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID BODYPORTION; ELASTIC MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BODY PORTION AND IN THEUNSTRESSED CONDITION, HAVING A CONFIGURATION COMPLEMENTARY TO THECONFIGURATION OF THE ARTICLE PORTION TO BE GRIPPED AND HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DIFFERENT DIMENSION THAN THE ARTICLE PORTION;MEANS TO SUPPLY FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO EXPAND SAID ELASTIC MEANS INTOGRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARTICLE; SAID BODY PORTION HAVING A SEAT;SAID ELASTIC MEANS HAVING A SEALING PORTION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAIDSEAT, NORMALLY FORMING A FLUID TIGHT SEAL; SAID BODY PORTION AND SAIDSEALING PORTION PERMITTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN RESPONSIVE TOA PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF EXPANSION OF SAID ELASTIC MEANS TO PRODUCEFLUID LEAKAGE; SEPARATE SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID LEAKAGE TOCONTROL THE OPERATION OF SAID ARTICLE GRIPPING MECHANISM.